Month: September 2015 Page 1 of 2
Aujourd’hui, les Missionnaires d’Afrique de l’Ouest vous proposent de visiter de nouvelles pages sur leur site www.mafrwestafrica.net :
Dans la rubrique « Actualités » :
« Début année académique à Abidjan » C’est le 18 septembre 2015 que s’est ouverte cette année académique. Merci à l’équipe de communication pour le texte et les photos. (lire la suite)
« Construire une église à Atakpamé» Une lettre envoyée par la communauté des Missionnaires d’Afrique en mission à Atakpamé, Togo. (lire la suite)
« Candidats en formation 2015-2016 » : le nombre de jeunes se préparant à s’engager comme Missionnaires d’Afrique, en cette année académique. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages »:
« Livres publiés par des missionnaires d’Afrique » Quelques précisions sur trois livres écrits par des Missionnaires d’Afrique et publiés récemment. (lire la suite)
« Une société Arc-en-ciel » un article tiré du numéro 108 de « Voix d’Afrique », écrit par le père Jos Van Boxel, premier assistant général des Missionnaires d’Afrique (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Défis pour l’islam» : l’Islam se trouve en effet confronté à de nombreux défis, tout particulièrement celui de ses divisions internes. (lire la suite)
« Vivre ensemble différents » : la différence est en effet une réalité à laquelle on n’échappe pas, et qu’il faut prendre comme un élément positif. (lire la suite)
« Le Centre Sénoufo à Sikasso » ce centre dont le but est de faire découvrir la culture Sénoufo a été créé par le Père Emilio Escudero, décédé en 2012 (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » :
« Migrations, quelle réponse trouver ? » Une réponse qui serait acceptée par tous les pays d’accueil n’est toujours pas trouvée. Il faut garder l’espoir qu’elle le sera un jour. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Coup d’Etat au Burkina » Depuis le 16 septembre 2015, le Burkina Faso vit des moments difficiles. La situation est toujours en évolution. Là aussi il faut garder l’espoir. (lire la suite)
« L’école de la différence » le partage d’une expérience vécue en Algérie, où des Nord-Africains et des personnes originaires du Sud Sahara ont l’occasion de vivre une expérience commune. (lire la suite)
“Dreams are becoming realities” – 07 September 2015 was the First Day of enrolment for 144 girls and boys boarders coming in to Form One (Grade Nine) in our new Jesuit school in Malawi. Many, many thanks for all those who have made this possible!
Link: Loyola Jesuit Secondary School, Kasungu, Malawi
My dear Friends, Greetings! I hope you are well.
The great event immediately after the last Newsletter was surely the Lay Leaders Conference of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. On Saturday 29th, with Bishop Jan DeGroef, M.Afr. (Bishop of Bethlehem in the Free State), we met more than 300 lay people from all the parishes of the Archdiocese. We had one hour and a half to explain the missionary activity of the Church. “The Church, by her very nature, is missionary” (Vatican 2, On the Missionary Activity of the Church, 2). With a PowerPoint Presentation and a talk and a song, we try to show that it is not the Church who has a Mission, but it is the Mission of Christ which has a Church! Dillon Naicker, a young member of our Missionary Group gave a very powerful testimony of his conversion and how he became a missionary in working full time in Youth Ministry. He wanted to become a famous actor – he did it for a short while, appearing in the weekly soap Isidingo – then as he said, “the Lord came to pick me up from my miserable life… One day, when I saw the word MISSIONARY on the calendar of the Missionaries of Africa, I knew I had to become a missionary.” He is now a real missionary working full time at the Youth Office of Johannesburg Archdiocese. Our two Congolese candidates have arrived via Durban on Sunday 30th! Finally, they got their students’ visa! At the moment, they are 31 theology students. They are the most numerous of all the congregations studying at St. Joseph Theological Institute in Cedara. They are from seventeen countries, but so far none from South Africa! We still pray and hope that some generous young men will soon join us! On the same day, Sunday 30th, a group of almost twenty youths took part in the Vocation Discernment Day at the Cathedral. It was a lively group really eager to discover their vocation according to God’s will.
The greatest event in South Africa this month was surely the beatification of Benedict Daswa. I am sure you all know about his life, how he was a strong Catholic Christian, always helping the poor and the children of his school – he was the headmaster – and how he was killed by a mob because he had refused to pay R5 to help hire a sangoma in order to find the culprit who, the people said, had sent lightnings to burn some houses in the village. From Sunday 13th September 2015, we can pray Blessed Daswa to intercede for us to God. He can surely help us to follow his great example by giving our lives totally to God. Many newspapers, radio and television stations covered the event. Benedict was a young man of our time (43 years old): he died 25 years ago, not 200 or 300 years ago! And he is one of us, a real South African! Let us be proud of being Catholic and South African!
October is MISSION MONTH. We all are called to be Missionaries. The theme chosen by Pope Francis is “A PASSION FOR JESUS AND HIS PEOLPE”. As you know, our Pope often challenges us to go out to the peripheries and proclaim the Good News of Jesus to those who are far. Let us pray and reach out to others this coming month in order to live better our missionary vocation. Let us also pray for Pope Francis who is on a very important missionary journey in the USA, so that his message of peace and joy may be well received by the American people and by all the people of good will.
Fr. Michael Meunier, M.Afr
This is the first edition of the new website to preserve the record of Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art in Malawi. It is the hope of Richard Hewitt that it will offer some interest and pleasure.
See the first Newsletter of Kungoni Art Project
See the letter of introduction of Father Claude Boucher Chisale
Picture: The Kungoni Art Project records this figure of Ngaliba, the Great Circumcisor of the Yao people of Malawi, by Thomas Mpira, which was commissioned for Sun’n’Sand Holiday Resort, Mangochi (2015). It stands before a frieze, also by Kungoni Centre, depicting the initiation ceremony.
Aujourd’hui, les Missionnaires d’Afrique de l’Ouest vous proposent de visiter de nouvelles pages sur leur site www.mafrwestafrica.net :
Dans la rubrique « Actualités »
« Baobab Echos n° 23 » la dernière édition du Bulletin de la Province d’Afrique de l’ouest, publié au mois d’août 2015. (lire la suite)
« Lettre de Ghardaia, septembre 2015 », la correspondance mensuelle de notre confrère, Mgr Claude Rault, évêque de Laghouat-Ghardaia en Algérie (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :
« Jubilé sacerdotal Emmanuel Ngona » : un texte et la photo de l’intéressé. Le Père Ngona, assistant général, a servi de nombreuses années dans la PAO. (lire la suite)
« Barabara le voleur » un texte poétique du Père Marcel Boivin, résidant à Québec, au Canada, son pays natal. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :
« Afrique du Nord » : l’Algérie et la Tunisie ne vivent pas les mêmes réalités. Si on peut s’inquiéter pour l’Algérie, l’article sur la Tunisie est plutôt rassurant. (lire la suite)
« Islam, craintes et espoirs » : Selon les contextes très variables, c’est l’inquiétude ou l’espoir de paix qui prend le dessus (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » :
« Migrations, encore et toujours », des textes pris sur le site de l’ARCRE, et qui tentent de donner la juste mesure des réalités migratoires. (lire la suite)
Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :
« Deux expériences sur la famille africaine » un texte du Père Bernard Ugeux, Missionnaire d’Afrique, résidant présentement en République Démocratique du Congo. (lire la suite)
« Le Pape en Afrique en novembre 2015 » Le Pape François visitera le Kenya, l’Ouganda et la Centrafrique au mois de novembre 2015 (lire la suite)
Maputo (Agenzia Fides) – “The Catholic Church has always called on the Mozambican society to appreciate all people, especially those who are most vulnerable and in need”, acknowledged the President of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, during his speech on the occasion of the Mass celebrated in the Cathedral of Tete on Monday, September 7, the anniversary of national independence from Portugal. According to information sent to Fides, the President expressed appreciation for the role carried out by the Catholic Church in preserving peace and for its efforts for national reconciliation.
On September 7, 1974 the agreement between FRELIMO (National Liberation Front of Mozambique) and Portugal was signed in Lusaka (Zambia), which ended the war for national independence. Soon after, in 1975, the outbreak of the civil war between FRELIMO, and RENAMO (Mozambique National Resistance) exploded. Only in 1992 the civil conflict was solved with the active participation of the Catholic Church in the peace talks.
The celebrations for national independence this year coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Maputo, the capital of the Country.
President Nyusi was represented by Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario. He asked all the faithful, and society in general, to take concrete actions to maintain and consolidate peace. Recalling the slogan of the celebrations of the anniversary of the Archdiocese (“Thank the Lord for the wonders made in recent years”), the Premier stressed that “only true peace can allow Mozambicans to ‘do wonders’ in the future”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 09/09/2015)
Mission Month (October) is just around the corner and once again the Church invites us collaborate in a tangible way in bringing the liberating and life-giving message of Jesus Christ to all people who inhabit our planet Earth. We are certainly aware of so many disturbing reports of violence, war, exploitation, abuse, corruption, discrimination and religious persecution happening in too many places in our so called civilised world. What is desperately needed in our world are the values and objectives of the Kingdom that Jesus preached. What is our response to all these tragic realities apart from shaking our heads in disbelieve and maybe making some comments? How are we actively working to change our families, communities, society, country and our world? We are all called to be instruments of positive change and hope, irrespective of our age, situation or status in life, each one has something to offer and has the capacity to be a channel of the new life and hope that Jesus brings.
Do we commend these tragic situations to prayer? Are we genuine witnesses of Jesus in our daily lives, at home, at work, at our places of study, wherever we may be? Do we give testimony not only with our words but more importantly with our lives? Pope Francis with his humble and austere life style coupled with the compassion, love and mercy of Jesus radiating from his daily actions give us a wonderful example of how to be missionaries and disciples of Christ. He has made priority visits to areas of conflict, war and poverty, (Palestine, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay) to bring Jesus’ message of hope and mercy. He concerns himself with the plight of the homeless, refugees, the sick and the suffering. In an attempt to promote the Universal Mission of the Church in all the dioceses of the SACBC we had a workshop with the Diocesan Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) Directors at Lumko, Benoni in July, which was attended by 21 directors or their representatives. The workshop took the form of an information session on the PMS; its Societies, aims, mission, challenges, achievements and procedures. It also afforded us an opportunity to get to know one another a little better and at least meet in person. From the feedback received it was viewed as positive and helpful. We all agreed that the PMS will only function properly and achieve its mission when the faithful are informed and animated and when everyone here in our local churches collaborates, is enthusiastic and committed. To quote Pope Francis: “Mission is a passion for Jesus and at the same time a passion for His people”.
Fr. Gordon Rees mccj National PMS Director – SA, Botswana & Swaziland
On the website of the Society can we be found the death’s announcement of Fr Jacques de l’Eprevier. Fr de l’Eprevier was a missionary for 62 years essentially in Malawi (51 years) and in his home country, France. He passed on the 5th September 2015 at the age of 90. He will be buried on Wednesday the 9th September at Sainte-Foy-Des- Lyon, France. May his soul rest in peace.
Message sent by Michel Sanou, Delegate Superior Malawi
See an article written by him for his 60th anniversary of priesthood.
Kolibo Vocation Centre has reached 25 YEARS of existence. It is our joy to see that many things have happened during these passes years. A number of aspirants and students have passed in the centre. Amongst them, some are priests, civil servants, officers in various institutions, business men, professionals and others are still in formation. At 25yrs of Kolibo, the number of Zambian Missionaries of Africa is 25. What an achievement!